A brief history of cloud computing
One of the first questions asked with the introduction of a new technology is: “When was it
invented?” Other questions like “When was it first mentioned?” and “What are the prospects for
its future?” are also common.
When we think of cloud computing, we th think
ink of situations, products and ideas that started in the
21st century. This is not exactly the whole truth. Cloud concepts have existed for many years.
Here, I will take you back to that time.
It was a gradual evolution that started in the 1950s with mainframe computing.
Multiple users were capable of accessing a central computer through dumb terminals, whose
only function was to provide access to the mainframe. Because of the costs to buy and maintain
m
mainframe computers, it was not practical for an organization to buy and maintain one for every
employee. Nor did the typical user need the large (at the time) storage capacity and processing
power that a mainframe provided. Providing shared access to a single resource was the solution
that made economical sense for this sophisticated piece of technology.
After some time, around 1970, the concept of virtual machines (VMs) was created.
Using virtualization software like VMware, it became possible to execute one or more operating
systems simultaneously in an isolated environment. Complete computers (virtual) could be
executed inside one physical hardware which in turn can run a completely different operating
system.
The VM operating system took the 195
1950s’
0s’ shared access mainframe to the next level, permitting
multiple distinct computing environments to reside on one physical environment. Virtualization
came to drive the technology, and was an important catalyst in the communication and
information evolution.
In the 1990s, telecommunications companies started offering virtualized private network
connections.
Historically, telecommunications companies only offered single dedicated point–to-point data
connections. The newly offered virtualized private network connections had the same service
quality as their dedicated services at a reduced cost. Instead of building out physical
infrastructure to allow for more users to have their own connections, telecommunications
companies were now able to provide users with shared access to the same physical infrastructure.
The following list briefly explains the evolution of cloud computing:
• Grid computing: Solving large problems with parallel computing
• Utility computing: Offering computing resources as a metered service
• SaaS: Network-based subscriptions to applications
• Cloud computing: Anytime, anywhere access to IT resources delivered dynamically as a
service
Now, let’s talk a bit about the present.
SoftLayer is one of the largest global providers of cloud computing infrastructure.
IBM already has platforms in its portfolio that include private, public and hybrid cloud solutions.
The purchase of SoftLayer guarantees an even more comprehensive infrastructure as a service
(IaaS) solution. While many companies look to maintain some applications in data centers, many
others are moving to public clouds.
Even now, the purchase of bare metal can be modeled in commercial cloud (for example, billing
by usage or put another way, physical server billing by the hour). The result of this is that a bare
metal server request with all the resources needed, and nothing more, can be delivered with a
matter of hours.
Source : http://thoughtsoncloud.com/2014/03/a-brief-history-of-cloud-computing/
